Shincheonji makes the argument that through the words of Jesus, Lee Manhee is married through to Jesus, as seen with the symbolism of the White Horse of Revelation 19.
However, this contradicts what plain scripture says.
Be aware that groups like Shincheonji often respond to criticism by subtly adjusting their doctrine—a common tactic involving denial, adaptation, and manipulation; is a common tactic among high-control organizations. They may gather information on critics and “flip the script,” portraying exposure as persecution or misinformation. It’s essential to carefully observe doctrinal shifts rather than accepting new explanations at face value. Stay vigilant against gaslighting through evolving teachings designed to counter today’s realities and criticisms. (Read More)
Shincheonji’s interpretation makes the Promised Pastor the sole vessel through which Jesus’ spirit operates on earth. In this framework, believers are connected to Christ indirectly, through their relationship with Lee Man-Hee. However, the epistles consistently affirm that all believers are already in direct union with Christ through the Holy Spirit, not through a singular human representative.
Romans 8:9–10: “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you… If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”
Every believer personally receives the Spirit of Christ; it is not mediated through another person.
1 Corinthians 6:17: “But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.”
This union is individual and spiritual – each believer becomes “one with Him,” not through an organizational head or promised pastor, but through faith.
Galatians 2:20: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
Paul describes Christ personally indwelling every believer. The apostles were examples and witnesses to this reality, not exclusive channels of it.
The apostles served as witnesses and teachers, not as mediators. They were ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20), not substitutes for His presence. Their words were authoritative because they testified to what they had seen and received from Christ Himself (1 John 1:1–3), not because believers needed to be “in Christ through them.”
Shincheonji may push back and claim that the “spirit” in these verses may reference instead the words of the Apostles, pointing to John 6:63 and how the spirit is the word.
This concept was thoroughly explored in the article, “Is there a Promised Pastor of the New Testament?”
It’s true, as SCJ might argue, that the apostles’ teaching was necessary for others to come to faith and understand the truth. However, that does not imply that believers were united to Christ through the apostles as spiritual intermediaries. The New Testament shows the opposite: once believers heard and received the word of the gospel, the Spirit of God personally indwelled them, establishing direct fellowship with Christ.
Ephesians 1:13–14: “When you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance.”
The believer’s sealing and union with God happens the moment they believe, through the Spirit, not through a man.
1 Corinthians 12:12–14: “For just as the body is one and has many members… so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.”
The Spirit works through many members, not a single vessel. Each believer becomes part of Christ’s visible body on earth.
Ephesians 4:15–16: “We are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body… makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”
Christ remains the head; no other human replaces that role.
In other words, God does work through human flesh – but not through only one human. He works through the entire Church, the living body of Christ (Romans 12:5). Shincheonji’s claim that Jesus’ spirit now operates exclusively through one “horse” contradicts the biblical image of a unified body indwelt by one Spirit (Ephesians 4:4–6).
What about Revelation 19?
While it is true that the book of Revelation is a symbolic book, when approaching the book of Revelation, we need to also take into consideration the context of the chapter as well.
Shincheonji often argues that there is a small-scale fulfillment of Jesus using Lee Manhee to judge Babylon on a small scale against the Tabernacle Temple, and then on a large scale against the Babylonian kingdom of Christianity.
Revelation 19 presents a striking two-part movement. The first half (vv. 1–10) celebrates the wedding banquet of the Lamb – a scene of joy, completion, and victory. Heaven resounds with “Hallelujah,” for the Lord has judged Babylon and the time has come for the Lamb to take His Bride. The imagery of the banquet parallels Psalm 23, where the Lord as Shepherd prepares a table in the presence of enemies, anoints the head with oil, and causes the cup to overflow. Both passages depict divine provision, vindication, and fellowship: God’s people are gathered to share in His victory and abundance. The overflowing cup in Psalm 23 becomes, in Revelation 19, the overflowing joy of redemption fulfilled – the Bride, clothed in fine linen, sharing in the eternal covenant meal with her Bridegroom.
The second half (vv. 11–21) shifts from celebration to confrontation. The same Christ who presides over the marriage feast now appears as the Rider on the white horse, Faithful and True, coming to judge and wage war. This is not a new figure but the same Lord of the banquet, now revealed in His role as divine warrior. The juxtaposition emphasizes the total scope of His kingship: He brings comfort to His Bride and judgment upon her enemies. The Lamb who was slain is also the Word who conquers. The one who offers the overflowing cup of salvation also wields the sharp sword of justice that proceeds from His mouth.
This literary and theological dichotomy reinforces that Revelation 19 is not describing a small, hidden event but the culmination of salvation and judgment on a cosmic scale. The banquet and the battle are two sides of the same fulfillment—the triumph of Christ over all evil and the vindication of His people. The Bride’s celebration and the Rider’s conquest together complete the story of redemption begun at the cross. There is no need to insert an additional mediator or a smaller preliminary fulfillment, because the text itself presents the final and complete revelation of Jesus as both Bridegroom and King.
While it is true that the book of Revelation is filled with symbolic language, every symbol operates within a real historical and redemptive context. Symbols in Revelation are never detached from the flow of the narrative or from the larger storyline of God’s final judgment and redemption. Revelation 19, in particular, is not an isolated or cryptic parable waiting for a new “decoder.” It is the climactic scene that concludes the downfall of Babylon (Revelation 18) and transitions directly into the visible reign of Christ (Revelation 20–22).
Shincheonji often proposes a dual-layer reading of “small fulfillment” and “large fulfillment,” suggesting that the first is a hidden, spiritual event through the “promised pastor,” and the second is the public, worldwide judgment carried out through him. Yet the text itself gives no indication of a two-stage fulfillment. The vision begins with “heaven opened” (19:11), proceeds to the “armies of heaven” following the Rider, and ends with the “beast and the kings of the earth” being overthrown (19:19–21). The language is cosmic, comprehensive, and final – not incremental. It describes the universal defeat of evil and the public vindication of Christ as “King of kings and Lord of lords.” There is no textual hint that this war first happens secretly in one organization and later on a global scale.
Moreover, reading the white horse as Lee Man-Hee, based on the idea of “spirit working through flesh,” imposes an exclusive human vessel onto a passage that portrays Christ Himself in divine terms. The rider is called “Faithful and True,” “the Word of God,” and “King of kings”—titles used nowhere else for any human being. His robe is “dipped in blood,” a direct allusion to His own sacrificial death (cf. Revelation 1:5; 5:9). The imagery connects the victorious Christ of Revelation 19 with the crucified Lamb of Revelation 5. The rider’s identity is therefore self-interpreting: it is Jesus Himself, not a proxy through whom He must operate.
When John describes the armies of heaven clothed in fine linen following Him (19:14), he extends participation in this victory to all who belong to Christ, echoing earlier imagery of the saints clothed in white (19:8; 7:14). The victory is corporate and heavenly in scale, not organizationally restricted. This shows that the Holy Spirit’s work is distributed among all believers, just as the New Testament repeatedly teaches (Romans 8:9–11; 1 Corinthians 12:13). Revelation 19 thus represents the consummation of that shared union, not its re-confinement to one “horse” through which Christ must act.
In summary, Revelation 19 portrays a single, universal, and visible act of divine judgment and triumph—the return of Christ and the consummation of His marriage to the Church. To reinterpret the white horse as a single end-time pastor, or to divide the chapter into hidden and public fulfillments, introduces categories that the passage itself neither supports nor implies. The text’s own context, titles, and scope point unambiguously to the victorious revelation of Jesus Christ Himself, not to a delegated fulfillment through any other flesh.
Both Christians and Shincheonji would agree that the book of Revelation is symbolic, and that Jesus wouldn’t ride a literal horse and have a literal tattoo.
When reading the book of Revelation, historical context needs to come into play, since the target audience would have been first century Christians who were undergoing persecution by the Roman empire.
No, Revelation 19 does not require us to believe that Jesus will appear on a literal white horse or with a literal tattoo on His thigh. Revelation, by its very nature, is a symbolic apocalypse that communicates spiritual truths through vivid, visionary imagery. But symbolic does not mean imaginary or meaningless; the symbols point to real events and realities -Christ’s return, His authority, and His final victory.
The white horse represents righteous victory and divine purity. Throughout Scripture, white symbolizes holiness and triumph (cf. Revelation 3:5; 7:14). The rider’s horse being white signifies that His conquest is holy and just. In the ancient world, victorious generals and kings rode white horses during triumphal processions, so John uses that familiar symbol to portray Christ’s victorious return as the conquering King.
The name written on His robe and on His thigh – “King of kings and Lord of lords” (v. 16) -is not a literal tattoo but a royal inscription announcing His identity and supreme authority. Ancient warriors often had titles or emblems engraved on their garments or armor; John uses that imagery to show that Christ’s sovereignty is publicly visible and incontestable. The “robe dipped in blood” (v. 13) is likewise symbolic, recalling His own sacrificial death (Revelation 1:5; 5:9) and the judgment of His enemies (Isaiah 63:1–3).
Shincheonji (SCJ) teaches that the Wedding Banquet of the Lamb in Revelation 19:7–9 is a present-day spiritual event occurring through the “marriage” between Jesus (the spirit) and “the one who overcomes” (Lee Manhee, the leader of SCJ). According to their doctrine, this union is fulfilled through the “word of testimony” revealed by this chosen figure, making him the physical body through whom Jesus works in the last days. SCJ members believe that this “marriage” establishes the foundation of the new heaven and new earth (Shincheonji), and that those who receive the “revealed word” from this figure are the ones who attend the Wedding Banquet. In this view, the banquet represents not the future union of Christ and the Church but an ongoing spiritual feast exclusive to those who belong to their organization.
However, the context of Revelation itself contradicts this interpretation. The Wedding Banquet occurs after the judgment of Babylon (Revelation 19:1–6), marking the end of evil and idolatry in the world, and before the final battle in Revelation 19:11–21, where Christ returns in visible glory as the conquering King. This situates the event firmly within the eschatological timeline – it is a future, global, and public event, not a hidden spiritual reality unfolding in Korea. Furthermore, Scripture defines the “bride” not as a single person but as the collective Church, the redeemed people of God (Ephesians 5:25–27; Revelation 21:2, 9–10). The bride imagery consistently symbolizes those whom Christ has purified and sanctified through His blood. This makes the “wedding” the ultimate fulfillment of Christ’s promise to unite Himself with His people at His return, not through an intermediary or newly appointed “pastor,” but directly and eternally.
Revelation 19:9 also distinguishes between the bride and the invited guests: “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” These two roles highlight participation, not hierarchy — all believers are invited to share in the joy of redemption. The SCJ doctrine collapses this metaphor by making their leader both the “bride” and the “guest,” which distorts the text’s intent and replaces the corporate unity of the Church with the exaltation of a single man. The banquet imagery emphasizes the completion of salvation for all who belong to Christ, not the establishment of a new religious movement. Thus, Revelation 19 points to a future consummation of God’s plan — the glorious, visible union of Christ and His Church — not an exclusive revelation or secret spiritual marriage taking place today.
| Concept | Biblical Interpretation | Shincheonji Interpretation |
| Bride | The universal Church (Eph 5:25-27; Rev 19:7-8) | The 12 Tribes formed by Lee Man-Hee |
| Groom | Jesus Christ, the Lamb | Jesus united with “the one who overcomes” |
| Banquet | Eschatological celebration of salvation | Present-day spiritual event at SCJ headquarters |
| Fine linen | Righteous acts of saints | Members who accept SCJ’s revelation |
| Guests | Believers invited through the gospel | Those who recognize Lee Man-Hee’s testimony |
The Covenantal Imagery of the Wedding Banquet
The marriage imagery in Scripture is deeply rooted in the covenantal relationship between God and His people. From the Old Testament onward, Yahweh consistently describes His bond with Israel in marital terms. In Isaiah 54:5, God declares, “For your Maker is your husband—the Lord Almighty is His name—the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer.” Similarly, Hosea 2:19–20 portrays the covenant as a divine marriage: “I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion.” These passages reveal that God’s covenant is not a cold contract but a relational union marked by faithfulness and love. Even when Israel was unfaithful, God’s pursuit of His people—symbolized through Hosea’s marriage to Gomer—demonstrated His steadfast commitment to restore and redeem them.
This Old Testament pattern finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ, who is described as the Bridegroom of the Church. John the Baptist identifies Jesus as such in John 3:29: “The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice.” The Apostle Paul develops this further in Ephesians 5:25–27, where Christ’s sacrificial love for the Church mirrors a husband’s love for his wife: “Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word.” The covenantal marriage motif thus progresses from Yahweh’s union with Israel to Christ’s redemptive union with His Bride, the Church.
Revelation 19 consummates this one, unbroken redemptive story. The “wedding of the Lamb” is not the beginning of a new covenantal relationship but the final celebration of the covenant inaugurated by Christ’s blood at the cross. The Bride’s preparation—“fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear” (Rev 19:8)—symbolizes the completed sanctification of the saints, a result of Christ’s work throughout history. It represents the moment when faith becomes sight, when the Church, purified and glorified, enters into perfect communion with her Bridegroom.
Shincheonji’s interpretation fractures this covenantal unity by introducing a second bride—a separate group that supposedly emerges in the last days as the “new spiritual Israel.” In doing so, they imply that the covenant established by Christ and sealed by His blood was incomplete or ineffective for nearly two thousand years. This interpretation severs the continuity between the Old and New Testaments and replaces the universal, historical Church with an ethnocentric and organizational construct. The result is a theological rupture: rather than the Church being the Bride Christ has been sanctifying throughout the ages (Eph 5:27), Shincheonji portrays a scenario where Christ abandons His historical Bride to marry another—something Scripture never teaches.
The biblical narrative, however, allows no such division. From Genesis to Revelation, God’s redemptive plan culminates in a single covenant relationship fulfilled in Christ. Revelation 19 does not reveal a new bride but unveils the glorified Bride—the collective body of believers made righteous by the Lamb. The wedding banquet celebrates the completion of the salvation story that began in Eden, was promised to Abraham, prefigured in Israel, and fulfilled in Christ. Any attempt to insert a second bride or a new mediator contradicts the very heart of biblical covenant theology and diminishes the sufficiency of Christ’s redemptive work.
Revelation 19 centers entirely on the Lamb—Jesus Christ—whose victory, faithfulness, and righteousness are the focus of heaven’s worship. The passage opens with a multitude crying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God” (Rev 19:1), and culminates in the declaration, “For the wedding of the Lamb has come” (v.7). Every symbol, from the Rider on the white horse whose name is “Faithful and True” (v.11) to the robe dipped in blood and the title “Word of God” (v.13), unmistakably identifies Christ as the central figure. There is no mention of another mediator or representative carrying out these acts on His behalf. The Lamb Himself conquers, judges, and reigns. This Christ-centered vision affirms that redemption and fulfillment belong solely to Him, echoing His own words in John 19:30, “It is finished.” Any doctrine that introduces a human intermediary to complete or interpret this fulfillment, such as Shincheonji’s claim that their leader mediates the fulfillment of Revelation, undermines the sufficiency of Christ’s person and work. It shifts the glory due to the Lamb alone onto a human agent, effectively redefining Revelation’s purpose from the exaltation of the Redeemer to the validation of a messenger. Yet the book’s message is clear: the Lamb who was slain is the One who reigns (Rev 5:12–13), and His triumph is final and self-sufficient—requiring no continuation or completion through any man.
The imagery of the wedding banquet in Revelation 19:9 finds a direct and profound connection in the Lord’s Supper, where believers continually proclaim the Lord’s death “until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Each celebration of communion is both remembrance and anticipation, remembering Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice and anticipating the full realization of His Kingdom at His return. This ongoing sacramental participation unites the entire body of Christ across time and geography, making the Church’s worship a living foretaste of the final wedding feast of the Lamb. In this sense, the Eucharist or Communion is eschatological; it points forward to the consummation of the covenant relationship between Christ and His redeemed people, when faith becomes sight and the Church, the Bride, is glorified in His presence.
This understanding stands in stark contrast to Shincheonji’s interpretation, which localizes the wedding banquet’s fulfillment to a single human event within their organization, essentially reducing a global, spiritual reality to a regional claim. By contrast, Scripture reveals that the banquet involves “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, tribe, people, and language” (Revelation 7:9). This multitude represents the entire Church universal, not a newly established sect or hidden group. Thus, the Lord’s Supper, practiced continually by believers around the world, embodies the ongoing participation in the covenant promises of Christ and stands as an enduring testimony that the wedding banquet is not exclusive to any organization but to all who are united to the Lamb through faith.